Wing exhaust question

[Diver Dave1]

Considering moving from a BC to bp/w. My BC has a right, back exhaust that I use all the time. I generally only use the inflation hose exhaust at the surface or while rising at the end of a dive.
The wings I see online all have front, left exhaust. I have a hard time imagining when I would ever use it. When diving and horizontal, isn't the air on top and venting is best done with a top vent?
I see the inflation hose on wings comes from the top so is that what you are using? It seems that would be ackward.
Obviously, many people are diving happily with wings so what am I missing?

As far as I can find, there are no local shops carrying plate/wings for me to go see in person in my area.

 

[spectrum]

Your use of "top" and "front" has me a little dizzy but I think it's the same question I once had. Wings can have butt dumps on either the forward or backward facing surfaces. What is important is that they are near the edge. The bladder especially of a wing is dynamic and that edge will rise to be the high point making it immaterial which surface it is on. It then becomes an access / ergonomic choice. On a jacket where the air cell if formed it must be on the rearward or outboard surface so it can work.

 

[LowDrag]

I use my kidney dump on my Hollis S38 rather than the power inflator hose (PIH). I used to use the PIH, but, recently went through a skills workshop where I learned to used the kidney dump and had zero issue with it releasing air while in the horizontal position. It was explained to me that the pressure of the water would compress the wing and then push the air out when I pulled on the dump cord. Since having gone through the workshop and getting my trim dialed in and my buoyancy corrected I love my wing even more than before. There were a bunch of pilings that were laid over on various angles that we used as an obstacle course which was a blast. Once I dialed in and I could put just enough air in my wing to be neutral then using my lungs to ascend/descend was so much easier. I was loving every second of being underwater and doing the obstacle course. If you do go to a wing, find someone who has been tech trained i.e GUE or UTD and do a skills workshop if they offer it, you won't regret it, I know I don't.

 

[divad]

As far as I can find, there are no local shops carrying plate/wings for me to go see in person in my area.

What is your area? Central USA is a really big area.

 

[PfcAJ]

When horizontal or feet up, the pull dump toward the bottom of the wing is the one to use. When vertical or hear up, use the dump on the inflator mechanism.

 

[tbone1004]

in a normal BC the dumps have to be on the "back" side of the bc because they are tied into the waist strap. On a bp/w the wing "wraps" around the tank, not a whole lot, but the "front" of the wing is the side that you can reach. You need to be rolling a little to the right, left shoulder/hip up, to get the air to equalize and dump properly which only makes it that much easier. Nice thing with the left inflate/dump is your left hand does all buoyancy leaving your right free for everything else. Left hand stays on inflator, and only has to leave to pull the rear dump cord when you are ascending.

 

[Diver Dave1]

What is your area? Central USA is a really big area.

Kansas City area

 

[g1138]

Even though the rear dump on the wing is pointing toward the ground when you're horizontal, it will still dump air when you pull it so long as you meet the following physics:

- large enough air bubble
- correct orientation to place air bubble behind the dump port

The water pressure is what helps to squeeze your wing and push the air out your rear dump.
It's no more different or difficult compared to your stock BC rear dump.

 

[Diver Dave1]

Thanks for the info. I am certain I can get used to left hand venting compared with the current right hand work.

 

[halocline]

Considering moving from a BC to bp/w. My BC has a right, back exhaust that I use all the time. I generally only use the inflation hose exhaust at the surface or while rising at the end of a dive.
The wings I see online all have front, left exhaust.

It's easier to reach the lower dump valve if it's on the 'front' side of the wing because the other side is against the tank. You'd have to sort-of reach around the seam of the wing to locate the valve in normal diving position. It is a little counter intuitive when you look at the wing out of the water.

Although most wings keep the valves on the left with the idea that in technical training divers are taught that wing adjustments are always with the left hand, I have an older dive rite travel wing with the butt dump on the right. I'm not sure if they still do that or not.